When I found You
by xShirayukixRukiax
Summary: She was somebody else before she ran away and left the life she had known - leaving behind her heartbreak and the bitter taste of betrayal afforded to her by the man she loved. He was a musician whose guitar dulled after a heartbreak and was looking for something. Together they were both lost - but soon found each other in the small town of Karakura. UlquiRuki, GrimmNel
1. Chapter 1

Note: It has been so long from the last time I have written a story or an update. I truly, truly want to finish my existing stories but no matter how much I tried, I have made an update for one but decided not to post it since I'm not satisfied with how it ended up. I guess that's what happens when you come from a very long hiatus.

So, what to do? I've decided to just create another one.

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Standard Disclaimer applies.

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The place is quiet save for the tapping sounds from someone's finger and the music playing over the radio. As usual, there were barely customers for the day and she's willing to bet against Urahara that the man sitting at the far-end of the corner, reading today's newspaper would be the last customer. She supposed that given the shop's general weirdness, a few will be interested to enter, let alone hang out. It's a café shop located far from the more populated area of Karakura town but for reasons all his own, Urahara refused to put up a shop around the business areas.

She found this place two years ago when she was looking for one and found it suitable. She lived a few blocks from this shop, renting a room in an apartment owned by Urahara's friend, Tessai. According to the latter, no one has ever lived in that place ever since Jinta decided to explore the world.

She shook her head at the little recollection and sighed once more as another song started to play.

_You've been hanging around_

_You've been with me from the start_

_Sail on, sail on silver girl,_

_You've been spinning too fast_

_I could tilt a world_

She frowned a little at the lyrics and the melody. She's not really much of a music lover but there was something in that song and the voice and the melody that caught her interest.

_I've done a lot of living in this town_

_I've done a lot of flying with my feet on the ground_

_You can't build your bridges after you've burnt them down_

_I've done a lot of living but I'm dying now_

She straightened a little and glanced at Ururu who came from the back door. The girl waved quietly and proceeded towards the kitchen. Having been focused on the song, Rukia only nodded as she strained her ears even more.

_How long, how long will it take_

_For you to learn your lessons_

_From all your mistakes_

_How long until the well runs dry?_

_You're buckets coming up empty_

_You're wondering why_

There was something heartbreaking in the way the guy sang the lyrics.

_Cause you've done a lot of living in this town_

_You've done a lot of flying with my feet on the ground_

_You can't build your bridges after you've burnt them down_

_I've done a lot of living but I'm dying now_

Yep, definitely heartbreaking, she thought.

_So long, everything must go_

_But I can't leave it behind_

_If I've never really known_

_And so long to nothing matters now_

_Who knows if I stand a chance_

_But I'm trying anyhow_

_Cause I've done a lot of living in this town_

_I've done a lot of flying with my feet on the ground_

_You can't build your bridges after you've burnt them donw_

_I've done a lot of living but I'm dying now_

Just as the song finished, Ururu appeared again with two mugs of hot chocolate and coffee.

"I wonder," she started as the last melody faded away. Ururu set down the mug of coffee in front of her. "What prompted them to write the song?"

"Well, that's a six-year-old song from the famous band Arrancar. According to rumors, one of the members wrote that during his break-up with his childhood sweetheart."

Rukia leaned closer to Ururu. "How would you know that?"

Ururu only shrugged. "Jinta is an avid fan of the band. Anyway, Tessai-san said that you have a new neighbor. Rather, the two of you will be sharing the house, he'll be occupying the other vacant room."

Rukia could not help but frown. "I dearly hope whoever will live there will not be as troublesome as the last," she grumbled and sipped on her coffee. "Thanks for the coffee by the way."

Ururu giggled. "Who else will consume them if not us?"

At the comment, Rukia could not help but chuckle. "Sometimes I wonder why he even set up this shop if he's not so much interested in earning profits."

Ururu leaned closer. "I think he's waiting for someone."

"Huh?"

The teenager actually shrugged this time. "Well, from what I gleaned from their conversations before – Urahara-san was about to meet the woman he loves in a café shop somewhere but things happened and she never came. I think he's still waiting."

"Conspiring against me girls?"

Both females almost jumped in surprise when Urahara spoke. They forgot he was just in his office upstairs.

"Ah, not really, just gossiping about you," Rukia answered and watched him carefully. He always presented a carefree persona but working for him for two years now made her understand the man hidden behind. Although of course he still remained a mystery. She knew the earnings of this shop is not enough to pay for her and Ururu's services but he always managed to pay them both and sometimes give them a few bonuses here and then. She never questioned where he gets his money despite the want to do so. It's not her business and therefore not her concern. As long as he pays her good enough money to get by then she doesn't complain.

Urahara pouted in his practiced comical front. "So mean," he said, a little bit whiny.

"That's not a good impression to show to a customer, you know," she commented drily, jerking her thumb towards their only customer whose back was on them as he continued reading the newspaper without a care in the world.

Come to think of it, he had been there for almost three hours.

Urahara huffed. "What impression?" he asked then turned to Ururu. "Don't you have a final exam tomorrow? You should go ahead. Rukia will take care of everything."

"Hey I have a date – "

"Not a single guy ever managed to give you a lingering look ever since you worked here. They all thought you're weird as this place," Urahara commented offhandedly, earning a smack from Rukia who hit him in the head.

"Shaddap! But I really wanted to – "

"I have an important thing to do so bye, bye," Urahara cut her off again and dashed towards the door leaving the two females gaping. She sighed then turned to Ururu. "It's alright, I can manage here. It's not like we deal with a lot of customers."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah."

Ururu stayed a while longer, finished her chocolate drink then later left, leaving Rukia on her own again. She decided to bring out her tablet and started typing, suddenly inspired to continue with her story which was half-way finished two years ago before she decided to stop writing and hide in a town not so well-known .

She was on her second paragraph when she happened to glance at her customer. He was like a robot just sitting there. She wondered why he would choose to stay long in this kind of place. Normally, one can stay as long as thirty minutes before they get bored and leave.

Her chair clattered when she stood up and went inside the kitchen. A while later, she emerged with a mug of brewed coffee and walked towards the lone man. He made no movement to acknowledge her presence.

"Your coffee must be cold," she only said before giving the table a look. "Or not," she muttered, placing the new cup of coffee and taking the empty one.

"I did not ask you to bring me one," he finally spoke in a low voice as he slowly turned to glance at her. but Rukia barely spared him a glance when she answered.

"I know but since it's just you and me here and I'm about to have another drink of coffee, I figured I should treat you on one. Who knows, it might get you to come back the following days and become a regular customer here. You've been here for hours and you realize we barely have customers. Enjoy the coffee."

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He did not tilt his head to watch her leave but simply stared at the steaming coffee in front of him.

"Weird girl," he muttered and decided to take advantage of her generosity and started to sip on it before he resumed reading. A while later, he glanced at his watch then sighed. It was stupid to come here and meet up with Orihime but given the tension between her and his friends, he decided to agree with her to meet at this place.

It did not take him long to find this place and he immediately opted for the farthest table and waited. They agreed to meet at two but she always, always, ends up arriving late. Sometimes, he wondered why he puts up with her. it was a tiring routine. Their relationship had not been going well the past few years and what was once a relationship filled with mutual respect and love turned into nothing but physical one.

They became each other's booty call.

He heard the chime ring but he did not look back to see if it was her. he felt no need for that. He heard the woman earlier speak in a louder voice.

"Welcome to Urahara's café," she greeted politely.

"Did a man with green eyes, black hair come here?" she asked frantically. "We were supposed to meet here at two p.m. but I got held up," she explained, looking around.

"Ah – I'm not really sure about how he looks but there was a guy here since the mentioned time," the woman answered. "He's over there."

"Thank you,"

"No problem."

He could her heels clicking against the floor. He did not need to look to know that she moved with the practiced grace of a model.

"You know when you said we can meet at two, I expected you to arrive earlier after you said that you have no commitments for the day. But it seems, it's always like the old game," he commented drily before she could even begin to speak his name.

She pulled a seat across him. He wasn't too gentlemanly to pull a seat for anyone after all. She sat down and gave him an apologetic look. "I'm really sorry it's just that there was really an emergency and that I had to be there."

He noticed how she clasped and unclasped her hand, a tell-tale sign that she is nervous. He merely raised his brow.

"You see…" she trailed off, unsure of what to really say.

Irritated, he spoke. "Out with it already," he said with a slight bite in his tone. He longed for a cigarette but since this shop has a bold sign plastered about "no smoking", he never opted for one, respecting the policy.

"I'm…he…proposed to me."

He wasn't sure what she expects from him. Did she expect him to react with envy? With anger? "Is that so?" he only intoned, reaching for the half-emptied cup of coffee. He had to admit, they know how to serve coffee. And it's exactly how he takes it.

Surprised at how well he handled the news, she blinked a couple of times. "T-That's it?" she asked.

He frowned at her. "What do you expect me to say?"

She looked flustered- whether from embarrassment or something else. "I – anything but that. I mean, you can't just say it like that!" her voice quivered in anger.

"So how should I say it?" he asked with no hint of emotion.

Again, she managed a blink before her shoulders sagged. She looked defeated. "No wonder…we did not work out," she muttered and forced a smile when she faced him. "I wanted you to at least feel something for me – happy that I am finally getting married, or angry or anything just not that kind of disconnect between us."

He was about to answer when the radio played another song.

_It's too late…to go back…_

Huh. What's with the radio these days? He shook his head to rid the song then turned to Orihime who looked pale all of a sudden, as if the words of the song cut through her. immediately, she stood up.

"I…I have to go," she said and hurriedly left him there again. He sat for a while and pondered on the irony of the situation. Once upon a time, she left him like this too. Sitting all alone. He stared outside and watched the few cars passing by. The store, being located at the outskirt of the town barely attracts any customers but if he is to hazard a guess, this shop wasn't actually meant for a business. Because if it had been so, the owner should have put more effort to attract customers.

His phone beeped and he checked to see the message. It was from Grimmjaw. _Saah,_ he sighed and ignored the message while he continued sipping on the barely hot coffee. When it was already emptied, he stood up just as another message came from Grimmjaw again. When he walked towards the counter, he noticed the woman gone and only her tablet left open.

"Careless girl," he muttered, leaving a bill beneath the tablet and walked out.

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Tiredly, Rukia opened her door and stepped in, kicking it closed. She left for the comfort room earlier and came back with her customer gone. What annoyed her was the bill he left at the counter – a sign that he did not accept her generous offer.

She did not know what he was talking about with the beautiful woman, the model, but she thought it was something serious because the woman looked flustered, angry and hurt at the same time before she stormed off. She expected the guy to go after her but nope, he simply sat there and drank on his coffee – the coffee she offered generously.

When she spotted the bill he left behind, she decided that perhaps he's one of those types of people who doesn't take generosity graciously. She kicked her shoes off and sat on the sofa just as her phone beeped.

"_Oi, midget! Are you still alive?"_

The text message came from her best friend who went gallivanting around the world. Too tired to even give a decent reply, she decided to send him a message later as she dozed off. She did not know how long she slept but she knew that she woke up from something.

And that something was a loud noise from across her room. she groaned. Really? Can't Tessai ever find her a normal neighbor for once? The last time someone rented that place, he turned out to be someone selling drugs. They were just too glad that when he got busted, it wasn't in this place but somewhere else.

She walked towards her bed and reached for the pillow to cover her head. But nope, whoever was living across her decided that the noise wasn't just loud enough and he upped the volume even more making her grit her teeth in annoyance.

Annoyed, she decided to take some action and marched out. The noise seemed louder even more. Seriously, do people consider this noise music? she knocked loudly but whoever is inside must be in his own world now because there was no response. She tried again. And again until her patience ran out.

"You inconsiderate - !" just as she was about to shout at the top of her lungs, the door opened widely as a man with – was that blue? Blue hair appeared laughing manically over his shoulders. Rukia immediately took a quick look inside and groaned as she finally understood what type of person her neighbor is.

The blue-haired guy finally noticed her and blinked before he looked at her room then at her. "Ho? You must be the neighbor."

"I wonder if having a neighbor occurred to you when you started with the noise – "

"Oi! It's music," someone interrupted from inside .

"Whatever," she waved him off and glared at them. "Look, we both live in the same roof so can we at least learn to respect each other's need for quiet?" she asked politely. "If that's not too much to ask," she added with slight sarcasm.

A woman with green hair suddenly appeared beside Rukia. She was holding two paper bags. "Ah, are you Ulquiorra's neighbor?" she asked politely and unceremoniously dropped the paper bags into the hands of the man with blue hair. Said guy scowled in annoyance but the woman waved him off with her hands before she turned to her and held both hands. "I am Neliel and I'm sorry if the band disturbed you. I told them earlier to keep it low. Apparently, they did not listen."

Again, Rukia groaned. Of all the neighbors that landed next to her, she gets to be sidled up with a band - a rock band. She suddenly felt a growing headache just thinking of the days to follow. "Just – tone it down, please," she mumbled then turned on her heel.

"Why don't you join us, seeing as you are now his neighbor and all? Let's give Ulquiorra a welcoming party," another woman spoke and Rukia looked over her shoulder to find a black-haired bespectacled woman wearing a sailor moon outfit?

"No thanks. I'll give a proper welcome some other time when it's become quiet," she turned down the offer and sighed. "Really, it's nice of you to offer but I'd rather not."

She held the knob of her room when she heard Neliel speak. "Ah, Ulquiorra, you're finally here."

Curious as to who her neighbor is, she could not help but tilt her head a little only to fully turn around. He was frowning as he stared inside his room. "Really, I expected you to keep a tight leash around your boyfriend," he commented earning a slap to the chest.

"I told them to keep it quiet – now you did not make a good impression with your neighbor here," Neliel pointed at her who kept looking at him. This time, he finally spared her a glance. A frown, a twitch of the lips then nothing more.

"You're that guy from earlier," she could not help but comment as her hand fished something from her pocket. Good thing she did not yet change clothes. She took out the bill he left earlier then reached for his hand and placed it back there. "If someone shows you generosity, the least you can do is be thankful. A thank you would suffice, you know."

"Huh?" Neliel looked confused. Rukia groaned when music bleared again. Unconsciously, she rubbed her temple. Headache, she thought. Fucking headache.

"Are you alright?" Neliel asked, noticing how she started to pale. She merely raised her hand and turned on her heels, forgetting her manners as she entered her room and dashed towards her bag where she immediately sought her medicine.

She heaved a sigh after taking one and sat on the sofa. Can't her life get any kind of peace she wanted?

"Thank you."

Surprised, she immediately stood up, alerted, before she realized the one who spoke was her neighbor. He was leaning on her doorjamb with his arms crossed. He was looking straight at her.

Rukia gathered her wits before she decided to respond. "Uh, welcome?" she said uncertainly.

He shrugged then leaned away. "Well then, have a good night," he said and closed the door behind him , leaving Rukia wondering what just happened. not too much concerned about it, she decided to send her friend a message.

She glanced at her surrounding and was reminded of the life she had chosen. It's not like she regretted it. But sometimes, there are many what ifs running through her head. But if there is one thing she probably regretted, it's the fact that she barely talked to her siblings now. She wound send them messages every now and then and they would call but they never saw each other for two years.

She knew her brother could find her if he so wishes but it was only upon her request that he did not seek her out. Then as if fate decided to give her a break, her phone rang and she read her brother's name on it.

Grinning, she answered the call. "Brother."

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Ulquiorra was thankful when finally his friends decided to stop and they just started drinking while talking about their new album. He simply sat at on the single couch while Lisa checked on her pad. She always checked on a lot of things. But she's a very good manager. Of that, he was very sure.

"Alright, you have a lot of catching up to do after your five months break-away tour," she started and glanced at her personal calendar. "Starting next week, you will all be very busy. First will be the scheduled interview about your new album. The reporter agreed to meet you in any place you wanted."

"We can opt to send you to stand in for us," Nnoitra muttered.

"You can but after the scandal you have created yourself, Nnoitra, it's time for damage control," Lisa snorted. "You have to remember that for as long as you can sing and entertain the – "

"I think it's already quite a given that most rock bands carry scandals with them," Kensei commented drily. "Whether you do good or bad to protect it – there will always be scandals attached to you."

The bespectacled woman sighed. "I understand that but you have come this far protecting your image – why ruin it now?" she asked.

Neliel was about to speak when they heard a crash from the other room. A few moments later, there was a scream and then another thing broke from the sound of the second crash. Grimmjaw decided to comment.

"You think you found yourself a crazy neighbor?" he asked Ulquiorra who refused to comment.

"_No! No! you're lying!"_

"Well, why don't you check up on her?" Neliel suggested. "We can talk about the opening tour tomorrow when the rest arrive."

Lisa nodded her head then pointedly looked at Nnoitra. "You – better get your head up on the game or I will kick your fuckin' ass," she threatened. Her tone was flat but there was a threat behind that. Lisa had worked her ass off too just to get them to where they are now. And she wouldn't allow a screw-up to ruin everything. "Just be fucking glad the judge was lenient this time but next time you get busted with possession of those fucking drugs again, I'll personally see to it that you will regret ever making that mistake again." She gathered her things and straightened up. they could still hear the crash from the other room but no one bothered to stand up and check on their moody neighbor. Ulquiorra sighed then stood up to walk Lisa towards the door.

"It won't be easy but he's really trying," he muttered.

"Then he should try harder," she said as he opened the door for her. she studied him closely then sighed. "It goes the same for you too you know – it's time to get out of your funk." She adjusted her glasses. "Remember she caused your ruin."

He only managed a curt nod. "I appreciate the concern. I truly do," he said with as much sincerity he could muster. After all, humility wasn't one of his strong virtues. "But I run my life the way I want it to. Whatever fuck-ups arise, they are mine to deal with."

She sighed in resignation before she nodded and left. He watched her turn left before he eyed the room next door as another loud crashed followed. A while later, when he was about to return to his friends, he noticed her door open and a messy woman stepped out.

He might have just ignored it if not for the dead look on her face as she moved like a zombie. He remained on his spot, reminded of that kind of thing from Orihime many years ago. It was the start of his trouble actually. Half of him decided to ignore the woman and leave her alone – she's not his business after all. But another part of him decided "to hell with it" and without saying anything to his friend, he closed the door behind him and spoke to himself.

"Troublesome, woman."

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The song is not mine but by Noah Gundersen. Characters are OOC but it's always for the purpose of the story.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm back. Anyways,

Laexdream - Thanks so much. Yeah, I just posted it like that and didn't care much about the summary. Hehe. Anyways, I'm still thinking of something better. I'm glad you like the first chapter. Hopefully you'll like this one too.

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Standard Disclaimer applies.

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He tuned out the sounds around him as his hand started moving and jotting down words. Perhaps it was the coffee or his curiosity about that girl which prompted him to return to this place and hang out. Earlier, when he entered, he studied her. It was as if yesterday – she did not just thrash her room. She looked perfectly normal. He had to give credit to her acting skill – not even Orihime ever managed to convince anyone that she was fine.

She smiled broadly at him when he entered as if they were longtime friends. "See? The coffee here is good," she beamed.

He was inclined to agree so he only managed a curt nod. "I'll have a cup of that if you don't mind," he said and watched her curiously as she punched the order and he handed her the bill she returned yesterday.

While he awaits his order, someone rushed inside with a squeal as she jumped up and down while holding a piece of paper. "Oh my gosh Rukia!"

_Ho? So that's her name. _

"What is it Yuzu?" she asked the girl whose smile might as well brighten a dark room.

"They said Arrancar will be sometime this month! Imagine that? Here of all places!" she blabbed excitedly and Rukia only managed a small smile.

"I'm happy for you, Yuzu. You get to finally watch them perform live," Rukia said sincerely. "I'll be back and you can take a seat sir, I'll just bring your coffee over."

The girl named Yuzu gave him a curious glance but Ulquiorra already turned on his heels. While not really worried much about his identity, thanks to the powers of make-up and costumes, only few were able to recognize them with their normal looks.

He shook his head as he recalled that particular short exchange an hour ago. Yes, he had been sitting here for more than an hour already and still came up with nothing much to his irritation.

"Still having difficulty coming up with a new song?"

He looked up to find Neliel with an amused smile and he only raised one brow at her elaborate disguise. Neliel sat across him and snatched his pad. She read the few lines written there then stared at him.

"Huh. That's interesting. I hope it's not a song that was in any way related to her," she muttered and glanced at someone behind him. Rukia quietly set his coffee down and excused herself while Neliel glanced at her then at him. "That's your neighbor…right?"

"Hm," he took a sip.

"Anyway, you don't have to force yourself to come up with a new song right away. I'm sure Lisa will understand," she consoled.

"She had been nothing but understanding the past few years, Nel. But I know that I have to come up with even just one."

She waved him off then leaned closer to him for a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Anyway, don't pressure yourself too much okay? I have to go. Lisa said something about visiting the studio."

He only nodded then leaned on the chair as he watched the people passing by, looking for something to give him an idea on where to start. Ever since Orihime left him all alone many years ago, he lost his focus on writing songs and he only played his guitar because it's the only thing that kept him moving forward. While many still perceived him as the genius guitarist, he felt like his talent dulled. Two years after Orihime left, she appeared in his life once more.

But their relationship wasn't what it used to be. She still has a soft spot inside him but never dared to let her know. Because while she's all sweet and loving, she's also a manipulative person – a fact that he recognized but accepted about her.

"Bored?"

He looked up to find her staring at him with one a cup of steaming coffee in her hand. "That for me again?" he asked instead.

She grinned. "Yeah. Will you come back tomorrow for another?" she asked, setting the cup down.

"Aren't you too generous?" he commented.

She grinned in response. He wondered how old she really is. "I am and Urahara is happy there's a customer who came back. Normally, our customers are just one-time."

He looked around him and noticed the tables empty. "Huh."

"So, I'm Rukia by the way. I know last night wasn't so pleasant," she said extending her hand.

Again, he thought, weird girl. She looked too cheerful that you wouldn't think last night she was a mess as she stayed in the kitchen all night, with all the darkness around her.

Taking her hand, he shook it abruptly then let go, not too fond of physical contact with a stranger. "Ulquiorra."

She frowned. "You don't look Japanese," she observed.

He only grunted in response. For whatever reason, the girl decided to be so friendly and pulled a seat across him. He traded the scene outside for her. "What?" he asked when she was looking at him curiously.

"You don't really talk much, do you?" she asked instead.

He only afforded her a blank look before he managed another grunt.

She sighed then decided to stare outside as well, to watch the people passing by. He studied her closely. There was just something about the way she stared outside that made him curious. Was she just like him?

"For two years since I came to live here, I've been sitting here, watching life pass from the sidelines. I was a stranger then," she said conversationally. "But I've come to know most of the people walking by." This time, she turned to him with a glint in her eyes. "See that girl with a bun?"

He glanced at the mentioned girl and there it is, a woman whose hair was tied in a bun. She was sitting by the bench across them, holding a leash of her dog.

"Her name is Hinamori Momo. She loved coming to sit there and wait – she had been going there for nine months now, always waiting."

Huh. Just by watching, you can really tell a story of someone. Perhaps not the entire story but some of it. He took his eyes off the woman named Momo then turned his attention to this weird girl. And then something hit him. What was it she said?

"What were you saying earlier?" he asked, suddenly coming up with something.

Confused, she stared at him. "Huh? About Hinamori?"

He shook his head, his hand already holding his pen. "No before that."

She thought for a while. "About me watching life pass from the sidelines?" she asked.

His lips twitched into a smirk and he started down writing notes all of a sudden. The woman or girl did not leave and simply watched him curiously. He read what he wrote then satisfied, he tucked his pad inside his jacket.

"What was that about?" she asked, noting the satisfaction that momentarily crossed his eyes.

"Notes."

She did not say anything else. When he thought she's about to give up talking, she spoke once more. "Just by watching people, I can tell a story. Maybe it's the same for you?" she asked.

He glanced at his coffee. It was barely touched and barely hot now. Remembering her words last night, he decided to accept her generosity and started sipping the coffee. "In a way," he responded. "And thank you for this."

She beamed. "You're learning."

"Hm."

They sat in a sudden comfortable silence while he drank his coffee and she watched the people passed by. He did not necessarily welcome her presence nor did he shoo her away. After about ten minutes of silence, he spoke.

"So you write stories?" he asked, remembering her tablet left open for him to read a few paragraphs yesterday.

Surprised, she blinked at him. "How'd…"

"Lucky guess," he lied. Then again, he did not feel the need to. He could connect with her at some level. Surprisingly so. And it was just their second meeting. "Only storytellers can tell a story just by observing."

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Really, when she approached the man for a conversation because she's bored, she expected nothing. He looked the type that does not speak much. But when he said those words, she felt warmed. It was a compliment – and it was one of the loveliest compliments she ever received.

Her lips stretched into a smile. "Thank…you."

He once again grunted. She took her eyes off him and stared outside, seeing Momo scratching the ears of her dog. A while later, she saw Karin's boyfriend get close to her and the two talked. She watched and saw how Momo despairingly tried to say something, as Toshirou tried to calm her.

"And what can you say about them?"

He surprised her by asking. She thought he wouldn't be interested but perhaps he was also bored that's why he decided to ask, to engage in a conversation.

"That she always waits for him. And he always goes to her. And that she's in love with him but he's in love with someone else," she said as she brightened. "I can actually make that into a story – a tragic one actually."

"Tragic? It's not like someone will die."

Again, she glanced at him. "When we say tragic, it doesn't always equate to death of someone. It could be a death of something."

He nodded in acknowledgement of her views. "And why was it a tragic story?"

She chuckled at his curiosity. "Because her love for him is already a tragedy in itself. Blinded by that intense love, she couldn't see any other guys, she couldn't see the unfailing love of another man who always wait for her too. At a different time."

She pointed at the lone bench not far from where Momo was sitting. "And that's why – if I will make it into a story, I will call that place the "Waiting Place"."

"Interesting, you should make one…" he stared at Momo while Rukia stared at nothing in particular.

Her laugh was a little bit forced. "Nah,I don't think that kind of story will sell."

His brow raised. "That's not for you to say but for the readers."

She nodded in agreement. "I know but still." She left it at that and was thankful he did not pursue the subject. While she is comfortable talking about her former profession, she's not keen on sharing to someone she barely knew the reason why she stopped.

"So why does he still go to her then?" he asked again, perhaps for the purpose of having a conversation.

This time, she turned to him again with a small smile. "And that's why it will make an interesting story – we can explore a lot of reasons why he goes to her when he's in love with someone else. Don't you agree?"

He toyed with his empty cup. He shrugged but did not answer. He glanced at his watch then decided to stand up. "Leaving already?"

"Hn."

She stood up as well. "Come back tomorrow – I will show you another person I came to know."

He did not commit but merely grunted. "Thanks for the small talk – it was refreshing," he said and left. Rukia watched him walk away then glanced back at Hinamori who was once again left on her own.

And then her eyes caught sight of another man sitting on the bench with a pensive look as Hinamori walked away.

The tragedy of Hinamori's story lies in the fact that she does not look around. if only she'd do so, she'll see there is someone always there. She felt something bitter just remembering what it was like to love and be betrayed.

"I hear you're quite friendly with the neighborhood."

"He's my neighbor and he's a customer here so of course I should be friendly," she answered and smirked at him. "Be thankful we gained a customer in his form."

Urahara only chuckled. "Well, now that you mentioned it, he did in fact come back."

Rukia walked back towards the counter as Urahara followed. "Do you know anything about him?" he asked in his gossip tone.

She only rolled her eyes. "I'm not – "

"Is he single? Or married?"

Sometimes, she wondered about his general weirdness. One moment, he was okay in a conversation but the next, he says something that makes you want to hit him hard in the head. Sometimes, he's just too random with things.

She smirked. "Interested in my neighbor, Urahara-san?"

He gave her a mock-offended look. "Rukia-san how could you…!" He even held his chest for added drama.

She waved him off. Urahara cleared his throat. "You know, maybe you couldn't finish your story because you're stuck?" he commented. See? He's been shifting topics. He gave her this space so she could do what she pleases.

However she did not comment on his words. She almost jumped when she felt a soft pat on her shoulder. When she looked up, Urahara was giving her his rare sincere smile. "Maybe you haven't realized it yourself but you're lost…somewhere in that world you left behind that's why you're stuck until now."

His words remained with her until she came home. Was it really like that? She opened the door and already noticed that her housemate is home because of the sounds from his room upstairs. As she climbed the stairs, someone stepped out from the kitchen.

"Oops. Sorry but we kinda helped ourselves around here," the green-haired woman said apologetically when she spotted her.

Rukia offered a polite smile. "It's his house as much as mine. As long as you keep the noise down."

"It's music," someone with an eye patch corrected.

"Yeah, whatever," she mumbled. She waved at them and hurried to her room. as soon as she closed the door and was met with the disaster that was her room, all pretense dropped and she was once again reminded of the one thing she had denied herself the whole day. And even until now.

Quietly, she changed clothes and started cleaning her mess.

"_Brother."_

"_Rukia?" it wasn't Byakuya who answered but Gin. _

"_Eh, Gin-san."_

_There was a sharp breathe before he spoke. "Listen to me carefully…"_

_She dreaded that line and was unaware how she gripped the phone so tight. She listened as he told her everything and she sat rigid at first. Her mind refused to believe his words and as soon as he spoke again, calling her attention, Rukia screamed. _

"_No! you're lying!" and grabbing the first thing she saw, she smashed the vase on the wall and then some more. _

She doesn't remember how she returned to her room. all she remembered was that she spent the night in the kitchen, embracing her knees and thinking. She did not even cry. Because it was just a lie.

Perhaps it was more than an hour before she managed to make her room decent again and she stood with her hands on her hips, congratulating herself for a job well done when someone knocked on her door. Wiping her brow, she walked towards her door and opened it.

And she stood there in horror as she paled, her color as white as sheet.

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"This is actually a good one, you managed to come up with this a while ago and finished it immediately?" Kensei asked while the rest stared at him in amazement. From the table, three boxes of pizza were emptied and ten cans of beer were consumed. He already finished even with the accompanying notes and they gave it a try earlier. Lisa looked pleased.

Neliel chewed on her pizza. "I thought you were having a difficulty earlier?"

"Well, just a passing comment from someone and it started from there," he gave Neliel a warning look when her eyes gleamed.

"We can start recording it for your new album," Lisa suggested.

Ulquiorra shook his head. "Hold this one off for a while. It might be finished but I feel like it's not yet quite done."

"But – "

"No!"

All at once, they stood up, surprised at the very loud scream. Grimmjow groaned. "Is it her routine to scream every night?" he mused.

Curious, they all moved at once to check on his small neighbor when they heard someone speak.

"We can't reach you through your phone and we came to fetch – "

"Shut the fuck up and go away! It's not real! It's not!" she shouted frantically and Ulquiorra could not help but open his door to find two men wearing suits standing in her doorway. It's on how they carried themselves that gave him the impression that they weren't businessmen but yakuza.

He chanced a look on Rukia and saw how she started backing away from them, while shaking her head.

"Rukia…"

Her response is to grab something from near her and throw it at them. The two men dodge. Did they come to harm her? Then the two moved inside while Rukia screamed like a mad woman and he could not help but get involved thinking she's in trouble. His conscience would not take it if he let a woman be harmed. When he appeared on her doorway, he was surprised at the sight that greeted him. She was fighting them frantically, not meaning to harm. Nope, it wasn't like that. It was as if she's just avoiding them. But the two men were stronger and one of them held both of her hands and pulled her close to him where she continued to thrash and shout and punch in his chest. The man took all of her attacks calmly but otherwise did nothing.

And then the screaming stopped and she just cried.

"You have to go – go say your last words…the burial will be tonight…" the other man said gently and noticed him standing there. Or them.

"Ano – is everything alright here?" Neliel asked before the man could even question them. Rukia did not seem to acknowledge them as she continued crying while the man holding her simply held her there.

And then he understood. He doesn't know how he knew but he just knew it. It's no wonder she acted alright for the whole day, all smiles and pleasant. She was in denial. Perhaps she received a call last night about someone's death. She reacted but later on consoled herself that it was a lie.

However, the fact that these two men appeared in her doorway – it made it real. And then she finally understood and that's why she finally cried. Again, he doesn't know how he understood that. Perhaps it had something to do with her words earlier. That you can tell a story just by watching.

"Yes, ah, we came to fetch her."

"Uhm, I can help her get dressed properly," Neliel volunteered and it was only then that they realized she was only wearing a very loose shirt and shorts.

The guy looked hesitant to trust a stranger but later on nodded as his companion released Rukia who numbly allowed Neliel to guide her towards the bathroom.

"Are you her friends?"

"No. Ulquiorra here is her housemate for two days now," Nnoitra answered.

"That so?" the other guy murmured and pinched the bridge of his nose. Then he sighed. "The news crashed her."

None of the band members spoke and they still remained standing in the doorway until the one with silver hair sighed deeply as if he was just so tired. "Don't just stand there, ya' kno'. Ya can come in or not at all."

He signaled for the members to get back inside his room. After all, this is not their business. However, being her neighbor he opted to stay and because Neliel was just too kind to help. He sat near the window and noticed the garbage bag at the corner. Must be the mess she made last night. Since neither of the two men wanted to talk and he does not feel inclined to engage in a conversation, he looked around and studied her room.

It only speaks of simple living. Her walls were painted plain peach. Not even a wallpaper or anything hanging there. However she had a pile of books stacked in her mini-shelf. Helping himself, he walked closer and studied them carefully. She reads a lot too huh? Literally, she reads and writes. He looked at the table but nothing on there. Perhaps she thrashed everything.

Neliel appeared later and grabbed some clothes from the cabinet and went back inside the bath room. "We appreciate yer help."

"Don't sweat on it," he muttered and decided to walk out. "I'm sorry for your loss," he said and went back to his room, forgetting about being her housemate and all. Neliel, being more attuned to a woman's feelings gave the help his housemate needed.

"So that was what it was about eh?"Nnoitra grabbed his jacket. "I'll be at the studio."

"Kensei will go with you," Lisa said.

Nnoitra scowled. "What the fuck?! I don't need a babysitter!"

"Yeah? And how do you explain this?" Lisa showed a small pack. Just one look and they can already tell what it was.

"We talked about this before," he growled at Nnoitra who growled back.

"I'm fucking trying okay? But its not so fucking easy!"

"We know it's fucking hard, but try harder! You told us you're going to get fucking clean before our release!" Grimmjow snarled. "We are a fucking band here Nnoitra!"

He could feel his head ache at the shouting so he sighed then spoke. "All of you – get the fuck out," he ordered.

They all stared at him with varying reactions. Grimmjow and Nnoitra looked pissed while Kensei looked amused. Lisa only sighed but was the first one to walk towards the door. She gave Nnoitra a warning look. "The company does not tolerate drugs, Nnoitra and I have been covering up your ass the past years. But with the scandal you created – getting busted, all eyes are on you and not just you but the whole band. Be a sports and don't screw with us."

Kensei patted Ulquiorra's shoulder while grinning. "She always managed to get the last words when pissed. Gotta go."

Nnoitra glared at him and furiously walked out which left him and Grimmjow. He gave the vocalist a pointed look. "I said all of you."

"Tch, tell Nell I'd be downstairs. You can be such an ass, you know that?" he growled.

Ulquiorra simply shrugged and grabbed his guitar and sat on the bed and hummed.

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He did not see her the following day and the day after that and another day more. But he continued going to that weird shop and continued ordering coffee. And he continued just sitting at the corner and watching life pass by as she termed it.

True to what she said about Momo – she kept coming to that place. And the white-haired guy kept going back there. And when she would leave, another guy goes to sit at the other bench and watch as Momo walk away.

He tilted his head a little when he felt a presence behind him. The person cleared his throat. "Hem, you know, you remind me of Rukia just by sitting there." He moved so he could be in front of Ulquiorra and the latter already guessed the man to be this shop owner.

He was grinning goofily. "So I heard Rukia arrived the other day but she didn't show up here."

He managed a blink. She did? Huh. Not that he noticed it. He was mostly busy at the studio and would only come here for a cup of coffee, to watch the story of Momo and the white haired guy and then he would go back to the studio then arrive home so late at night.

Urahara smiled. "Just check on her will you?"

"Why?"

"Why?" he repeated, confused as to why he asked the question.

"Why should I check on her?"

"Because she is your housemate – and the fact that she never left her room since the other day and you did not notice her presence there is troubling, don't you think so?" he suggested. "It wouldn't be too much to ask. Tessai-san left for Edogawa that's why."

He only stared at him.

"And tell you what – you can have an extra cup of coffee every time you come here," Urahara tried a different tactic.

Lifting the emptied cup, he decided to toy with it while he stared at the owner. "Huh. You truly do not care much about earning profit for this shop, do you?" he asked instead.

Urahara's smile was small. "Not really."

"So why bother with this?" he moved his left hand, motioning the shop.

"Because."

He did not elaborate and simply stopped there. His curious mind suddenly found something interesting. "Why can't you check on her?"

"Because truth be told – I have a pressing matter to attend to in about an hour. I did not worry yesterday thinking you know she's back there but from your reaction earlier, you didn't and that's why I'm worried."

"I'll do that – if you agree on something."

Urahara looked reluctant then carefully nodded. "Okay?"

He had a lot of things he could come up with but suddenly, he decided on something. Something more interesting than watching the story of Momo and the two guys unfold. When he stared into the owner's eyes – he was met with a deep look. Those were the eyes of someone who had seen a lot in his days. A pair of eyes that reminded Ulquiorra of that _man._ Shaking his head, he sighed then talked.

"Tell me your story."

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She remained just staring at the dark wall. She never moved from that spot ever since she returned after the burial. She did not show up in work. She just needed to be alone for a while. To reconcile with the loss and the grief. Because the moment she steps out from her room, she will bury everything - the pain, the grief. She knew it was a cowardly thing to do - hiding away in the comfort of her room but her mind just couldn't wrap around the fact that she really lost someone.

When she arrived to the place with Gin and Shinji, she only took one look at the cold figure but said nothing. She knew how not to break down in front of the members. Gin and Shinji were different - being part of the inner circle. She did not stay long. She did not even ask what happened. And then she returned here. It was a cold thing to do but she had to get away otherwise she will just get crazy with the loss.

She hugged her knees and stuck her chin over it.

But soon her ears caught some sounds. It was soft and sad and beautiful that she found herself curious. She wasn't a fan of music but she knew when to appreciate something beautiful. And the sounds...

It called to her. There weren't words there...simply sounds produced by an instrument. Without realizing it, she found herself opening her door to knock on his but stood there in surprise. He wasn't in his room but sat just outside hers, sitting in an Indian-style as he strummed his guitar with his eyes closed. She doesn't know what to think at that moment or what to really say. She was just too shocked that he was there sharing her grief when they don't even know each other save for the names.

He opened his eyes when he sensed her presence. His fingers stopped strumming the guitar. His face revealed nothing of his thoughts. They simply looked at each other - violet met shocking green. Then he moved his hand, patting the space beside him.

"Whenever I feel something - pain, loss, grief, happiness, excitement - I always use this guitar," he spoke. "Like how you write stories to say something, I write songs and play music to express something."

She sat beside him quietly and wrapped her knees. "I never used my pen for two years now," she murmured softly but he heard.

"Hn."

He continued playing. Two souls that do not know each other yet but they felt a connection. "I...feel so lost..." And perhaps she had been lost for a while but she never knew it. Until now. When she lost her sister and that her brother is in a coma. With their quiet support, she always felt she could take the world wherever she may be. But a single loss and everything crumbled. And she realized she wasn't as strong as she thought she is nor rooted than what she believed.

"So am I," he answered.

She could not help but give him a quick glance. He wasn't looking at anything. He simply shut his eyes while he played the guitar. "It's a sad sound."

"Hn."

"But beautiful."

"I know. Just shut up, close your eyes and listen."

She let him play again. And after a while, she leaned on the wall and closed her eyes too, feeling the emotions from the sounds alone. They were kindred souls, she thought. He played again and again, the melody varying but all sad and beautiful. When no longer hearing anything, she opened her eyes and saw him staring at her.

"I often use music as a form of escape." He reached something from her pocket and handed a disc. "I compiled a few songs from great artists there. You can listen to them when you feel sad. But really, you have to face the world and stop hiding in that tiny room. We all lose someone - and it's fucking normal to cry and grieve but life does not stop with a single death. I do not know who you lost and I am sure that person is very dear to you. But that person does not probably wish that you lock yourself away. You have your pen - use it as a means of escape if you must. Just don't hide."

And he offered his hand casually to help her up. "You're a troublesome girl," he muttered then did not wait for what she is to say. He walked inside his room and closed the door behind him while Rukia stood there, dumbfounded. He finally talked more than a single sentence and managed to say something sensible. She took a few steps towards his room. She did not knock. She simply stood there and stared.

"Thank you."

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There goes. Reviews are very much appreciated. Like mentioned, characters are OOC and necessary for the sake of the story. Hope you liked it.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi…so, I edited some parts here but overall, nothing changed. I just felt like I have to edit the characters of Rukia's characters in her story.

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**Disclaimer: So, Kubo owns Bleach. **

She leaned on her chair with her phone close to her left ear while she listened. Her expression betrayed nothing but her eyes told a different story. Fear and worry were present there. "So…it's not safe for me?"

"Yes, by rights of succession, you are to be the next head. So chances are – they will try to harm you and by our oath to both your sister and brother – we will not let that happen," there was a pause from the end of the line. "I understand your desire to visit Byakuya but you have to stay there until things settle down here first. If something were to happen to you, he will not forgive us."

She bit her lip. After that small talk with Ulquiorra, she decided to suck it up and face the world. The first thing she did was ask Gin about her brother's location but her brother's right-hand wouldn't say anything reasoning that its too dangerous. "But how is he? Tell me the truth," she half pleaded and half demanded.

"He's getting better. He woke up yesterday and asked about you."

She sighed in relief when he mentioned that he woke up from his short coma. "Thank Kami he woke up," even her expression showed great relief and happiness. She glanced at the door when the chimes rang. "I will call again later – I have a customer. Can you call me if he woke up? I want to talk to him."

"Sure thing, Rukia. You take care of yourself."

"Yeah. Bye and thank you," she answered and the line finally went dead. She turned to the customer. "It's…you from before," she said slowly. The woman looked around and managed a small smile.

"Uh, yes. I'm looking for the same man again. Did he come by?" she asked.

Rukia shook her head. "Nope. Not for a while now," she said which was true. It had been a week since that talk. It had been a week since he stopped dropping by for a coffee. But she sometimes ran into him in the hallway of their house when she leaves for work and he comes home from wherever he came from.

There was a defeated look on the woman's face. "Can I perhaps leave a message here? Give it to him if he happens to drop by?" she asked hopefully.

The shorter woman shrugged. "No problem."

She watched as Orihime wrote something on her pad and folded it twice before giving it to Rukia. "Thank you. I am Orihime by the way."

"I know…" she answered. "Rukia."

She blinked at her. "That's an uncommon name…"

"I know, right," she agreed and tucked the paper inside. Although she can easily tell the woman that he lives in the same house with her, she had a feeling that she will make an enemy out of that guy if she decided just giving her the address without his consent.

Orihime once again smiled and waved goodbye. Rukia waved back. "She could at least buy a cup of coffee or something," she muttered to herself before she sighed. She glanced at her watch. Another hour before she will close the shop. She stared outside and watched. Sometimes she wondered if she will ever tire of this routine. But she thought if she tell stories by watching, then she supposed it's not so much trouble.

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It was already two in the morning and like always, Rukia found herself still awake. Sleep had always been her elusive goddess since time immemorial. She always, always had trouble sleeping. Maybe that's why she ended up writing stories before. In an effort to be productive while still awake at an ungodly hour, she decided to write stories at a young age.

She never would have expected that after many attempts, the Zangetsu Publishing Company decided to give her story a chance and that's where she met Kurosaki Ichigo and they became the best of friends. When she stopped writing, he was one among those many people who urged her to continue but she had decided already and nobody ever managed to change her mind. And then two years ago, when she was looking for a place to move into, he was the one who suggested this small town and she was glad she listened to him.

She stared at the monitor of her laptop. This was the second time in two years that she opened this file. She stood up and went upstairs to get something from her room. It took her time to find the old notepad she had before. When she descended the stairs, she was surprised to see her housemate sitting at the sofa and reading her story.

"What are you doing?" she asked after she recovered.

He did not look up to acknowledge her presence but he answered. "Reading." He rubbed his chin and finally leaned on the sofa to look at her. "So, what's the story about? I skimmed over it – seemed halfway done."

"A supernatural story," she muttered. She was never one to stick with one genre.

He grunted. "Obviously, given how one of the guys is a vampire. I was asking about the story."

She sat beside him. "The forever kind of love – one that transcends death," she answered with a small bite.

When she glanced at him, he was staring at her. "Huh. There's a thing such as that?" he asked, a little bit cynical so suddenly.

She does not know why but she talked more than she should. "I once believed there was something like that in everyone – turned out reality is harsh. At least for most and for some, they were just lucky they have it – the forever kind thing."

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Her tone was bitter. He glanced back at the laptop. "When did you start making this?" he asked, interested. It seems that watching Rukia is like unfolding another story.

"Many years ago," she answered vaguely.

"Ah, when you were still a fool in love,'" he commented, feeling a kindred something.

She glared at him and was about to argue but opted not to. It surprised him that she conceded easily. " I was still a fool."

He ignored her and read on a few of the paragraphs written there. .

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_In a suspended moment in time, they once again felt the presence earlier and time stood frozen. Everything around them stopped moving and at the center of it all, Zangetsu stood in front of the withering witch, Tobiume stood beside him with curious eyes. With one touch, just with a single touch and the black sphere which she put up as her barrier disintegrated._

_If earlier they could not hear the voice of that person, now they were able to._

"_**Ages ago, you saved her and prolonged her life, giving her half of your power. You played god at the expense of her memories. You were too selfish to let her go and decided to keep her beside you, even if it meant that she will come out as another person, revived but with no memories. In exchange for her life, her memories were wiped out that not even a feeling of déjà vu will ever occur. Not even feeling love towards you in a way a woman should…that was part of your punishment…to teach you that you cannot interfere with the balance of life and death…"**_

_Kyokotsu gaped and squinted to look closer. Finally she saw it – the one look which she never got from him. How did he manage to hide such feeling for centuries?_

"_You mean…his woman…had always been Shirayuki?" Haineko asked in shock, not believing this sudden revelation._

_Zabimaru sighed. "She was a witch when she was alive. A powerful witch. She was believed to be more powerful than her grandmother. But she was killed and betrayed by the people close to her. Zangetsu was away when it happened. But he felt her life ebbed away. Being a guardian of the netherworld, he knew who comes and goes. We twisted the story we told you so as not to reveal who she was. She was…burned to death and when Zangetsu arrived…she was no more than a rotten flesh in a pile of bones and graveyard soil. His grief made him perform a spell that was forbidden even by the Lady herself. But he was too overcome with sorrow and anger that he did not pay heed."_

_He stopped for a while as they watched him kneel down towards the woman who was curled in a fetal position. _

"_Shirayuki…allow me to be selfish once more…and take you with me…to where you truly belong…" he said painfully. He touched her face as she screamed once more. Dark energy swirled around the two once more as Zangetsu sucked it away from her. _

"_What is he doing?" Hisagomaru asked._

"_**A spell was placed over her – that when the time comes that Zangetsu finally decides which world he will live into, the powers given to her by the guardian of the netherworld will return to him once more. Child, you cannot exist in two worlds…not you who was born in darkness, born during the Black Moon on the eve of that Samhain…you were mortal but that mortal life ebbed away when your brother turned you into what you are now – a soulless creature. But your soul refused to leave your flesh…and you chose to wander in this world…**_

_Zabimaru watched as the form of the witch turned into what it was like before. Burnt, rotten flesh._

"_**You revived your woman using bones and graveyard soil. Her soul which you kept on searching in the netherworld had always been kept by me…in essence, what you revived was just like you and your two companions…soulless creatures. Only, she wasn't a vampire like you. I hid away her soul so you will keep on searching…as a punishment for playing with life and death. Now that you learned that lesson – that there should always be a balance between life and death – I will return her soul. And the corpse that walked with you for hundreds of years will return to graveyard soil once more. It's time you bring her home, child of darkness and give her the rest she deserved. The same rest which your two loyal companions deserved as well…"**_

_With that, time started moving again as the powerful presence left the entire room. In the middle, he knelt cradling a burnt rotten flesh. The dark energy swirling earlier suddenly ceased and in the silence that hung, they could hear his cry._

_The cry pierced into the silence while the ground shook and the thunder roared. From the fireplace, fire erupted so suddenly. Hyourinmarou blinked remembering the vision he had…about the nature's wrath and the fire eating away everything…_

_So in the end, it wasn't about the powers of the witches combined which he envisioned…instead, it was this man's power…even with just this, he could feel a tingle, the hair at the base of his neck standing…_

_Just this little and it's already giving so much pressure…the air around them started to become dense and he found it difficult to breathe so suddenly…when he looked around, everyone was gasping for air…_

_Only the vampires remained unaffected…_

_Amidst this impending doom…they could hear his howl…and his grief and pain penetrated their very being…for hundreds and hundreds of years...even with her beside him, he never really had the time to mourn for her…_

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He stopped reading then turned to the woman once more. She was looking at him. "Sounds tragic. The woman died."

This time, she crossed her arms. "Yes. The vampire was almost a millennium old and he met that woman when he was four hundred and fifty and then lost her ten years later. Awakened in a modern time, it was revealed that he did a spell to revive her and was punished for that. More than five hundred years and he still loves the woman he called his heart."

"Interesting…" he glanced at his watch. "Shouldn't you be sleeping already? It's two thirty."

She was already working on her laptop when she answered. "I seldom sleep early. Normally I sleep so late…so very late…you know, sleep is my elusive goddess."

He stood up. "Sucks for you," he commented, heading towards the stairs already.

"I know."

He was five steps already when she spoke again. "Orihime came looking for you a while ago and left a note. I left it at the shop. I will bring it tomorrow."

"Don't bother. It's nothing important, I'm pretty sure," he continued going up. He was on the last step when she spoke again.

"Hey…Ulquiorra?"

He merely tilted his head. She was looking up at him with curiosity. "Do you believe there is such a thing as forever love? That even when your love one dies, you continue loving her or him?"

The question made him frown. "I'm throwing the question back at you. Do you?"

This time, to his surprise, she was smiling brightly. You wouldn't think she was biter with romance just by looking at her brightened expression. "Come by the shop tomorrow…or if not…I can wait for you here…I'm going to show you something. Another interesting story here."

There was something warm in her eyes when she invited him and he found himself agreeing even though he planned to sleep the whole day after finally getting a break. He observed as she beamed before she turned her full attention towards her laptop.

"But you know – there's not a thing called forever. Perhaps in that story of yours, it could be true. After all, your character lived for a millennium. But reality is that there's no such thing as that."

She looked up at him in surprise but did not say anything else.

"Then perhaps, true love?" she suggested.

He nodded. "Perhaps.A deep, deep, kind of definitely not forever."

She smiled and nodded in acknowledgement of his views. "You're against that word, right? Forever," she stated knowingly.

He could not help but smirk. How fast she caught on. "Not necessarily."

"We all have our views on things. Forever to one may mean eternally. But I for one, I think forever is what you make of it."

He blinked, surprised at her words. "Huh," he only managed to say but nodded to acknowledge her view. "Good night."

"It's morning already."

"Then go to sleep. You still have your work," he muttered before finally turning to his left and entering his room.

Forever is what you make of it huh. He shook his head and headed for the shower, still thinking about her words and her story. And then the gears in his head started working. Finishing his shower quickly, he immediately stepped out, not bothered about being naked and grabbed a pen and a pad. He will have to thank her for this.

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Neliel read the lyrics being the first of the two to arrive at the studio after him. Grimmjow was peering from behind her, reading it as well. "And you came up with this just a while ago?" she asked in surprise. She does not question his ability to write songs. He's a genius. It's just that she did not think he could finish a whole song in a matter of hours.

She watched her friend as he shrugged in nonchalance. "Yeah."

Grimmjow smirked. "This is the second song you managed to write after we came to this town for our recording."

"So?"

"Finally got out of your funk?"

"Not really. It's just that Rukia – "

"You're on a first name basis with her now?" he cut him off. Neliel rolled her eyes. She could not blame her boyfriend for it though – Ulquiorra, rarely calls anyone in their given names.

Ulquiorra only gave Grimmjow his signature blank look before he turned to Neliel. "The second stanza was actually inspired by her story." He smirked, remembering her fantasy story. Neliel and Grimmjow only shared a surprise look.

"Story…?"

"She writes stories."

"I see."

He stood up and stretched before he reached for his guitar. "How about we add some notes to the words?"

Neliel agreed then left to retrieve her rhythms guitar.

Grimmjow considered this before he smirked. "Thanks, you've given me a perfect song," he said. They eyed each other for a while and only Ulquiorra knew about his plan hatched a year ago. Only, the obnoxious vocalist felt too chicken to act on his plan.

Despite how he acts outward, Ulquiorra considered Grimmjow his best friend. And as any best friend should, he desired nothing but his happiness. It's already an added bonus that Neliel is one hell of a woman that can handle his friend. The other members are yet to be informed about Grimmjow's plan. And that's why when he wrote that song a while ago, it was intended for the couple. It does not tell the whole of their story but parts of it. And he knew Grimmjow understood, hence, the gratitude.

He slung his guitar then patted him on the shoulder. "Don't be too chicken to act on it. For fuck's sake, you planned this for one whole year."

He chuckled and rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Well…"

"Ready?" Neliel appeared on the doorway again and the two men left it at that. Ulquiorra nodded and they started to add chords to the note. He strummed his guitar. Perhaps it was chemistry. But Grimmjow and Ulquiorra worked well. It was as if Grimmjow knew what Ulquiorra wanted.

Grimmjow cleared his throat and started.

_Ohhohh..._

When the visions around you,  
Bring tears to your eyes  
And all that surround you,  
Are secrets and lies  
I'll be your strength,  
I'll give you hope,  
Keeping your faith when it's gone  
The one you should call,  
Was standing here all along..

And I will take  
You in my arms  
And hold you right where you belong  
Till the day my life is through  
This I promise you  
This I promise you

I've loved you forever,  
In lifetimes before  
And I promise you never...  
Will you hurt anymore  
I give you my word  
I give you my heart (give you my heart)  
This is a battle we've won  
And with this vow,  
Forever has now begun...

Ulquiorra did the back-up vocals.

_Just close your eyes (close your eyes)  
Each loving day (each loving day)  
I know this feeling won't go away (no..)  
Till the day my life is through  
This I promise you..  
This I promise you.._

Over and over I fall (over and over I fall)  
When I hear you call  
Without you in my life baby  
I just wouldn't be living at all...

He could not help but remember Rukia's character. The vampire that lived forever, the one that loved one woman and one woman alone. Unable to live without her, he revived her with bones and graveyard soil. He remembered the times when Grimmjow was so out of it when Neliel broke up with him. That was before they decided to form a band. He remembered Grimmjow in his lowest moments, telling him he couldn't live without her because Neliel made living better for him.

_And I will take (I will take you in my arms)  
You in my arms  
And hold you right where you belong (right where you belong)  
Till the day my life is through  
This I promise you baby_

Just close your eyes

_Each loving day (each loving day)  
I know this feeling won't go away (no..)  
Every word I say is true  
This I promise you_

Every word I say is true  
This I promise you  
Ooh, I promise you...

Neliel did not have the time to play her rhythms guitar as she stared at Grimmjow who was singing at her passionately, as if the song was meant for her. She did not even realize the song ended until he held her hand.

"Nel, I know it's not as romantic as you dreamed…but…will you marry me?" he asked, his voice thick with emotions. Ulquiorra gave his friend a weird look. When he told him to act on it – it did not have to be like _now_.

Neliel chocked back her sobs before she grinned. "You singing that song before asking me to marry you was already romantic…and yes I will," she answered as Grimmjow pulled her towards him and kissed her fervently.

Ulquiorra shook his head and only then did he notice the presence of the others. Nnoitra was staring at the pair with slack jaws. Kensei was smirking and Lisa had her camera turned on. Mashiro, their sound board operator was actually grinning from ear to ear.

"Since when were you there?" he asked.

"Since Neliel came back with her rhythms guitar," Kensei had his arm around her waist as they watched the others make their way inside.

Nnoitra sneered. "Finally had the balls to ask her to marry you?"

Grimmjow scowled in response but said nothing.

"So, have you been practicing this song before?" Lisa asked. "And by the way, I will be posting this on the net."

Grimmjow and Neliel didn't seem to mind. "The song was actually by Ulquiorra and he came up with it a while ago."

Lisa seemed pleased that he is starting to write again. She gave him a smile and a nod. The others weren't really surprised since he had been doing that before and only stopped when his serious relationship with Orihime ended.

"So, shall we start?" Mashiro suggested, suddenly her demeanor changed into someone serious.

.

.

.

Rukia was serving a cup of coffee to a customer who got lost in the shop when the chimes rang, signaling another customer. She smiled at the female customer before she straightened then turned towards the door.

"Oh, it's you," she muttered.

Urahara managed a fake hurt. "How you wound me…"

"Shut up and you promised to take over for me. I have something important to do in thirty minutes," she said.

Urahara walked and sat behind the counter. He gave her a curious look. "You have dark circles around your eyes."

"Yeah?" she only asked with a raised brow.

He nodded before turning serious. "Haven't been able to sleep much again?"

She sighed and pulled a chair in front of the counter. "Again? I seldom sleep properly, Urahara-san," she admitted.

"Have you considered medication?"

She only shrugged. "I don't want to rely too much on sleeping pills."

"How about asking your housemate to lull you in your sleep? It might help," he suggested with a straight face and Rukia's reaction was to stand up and give him a hit in the head. He goofily dodged though. She managed a glare.

Before she could say something, the chimes rang again. Both looked at the direction of the door. Ulquiorra entered, followed by his band or some of them. Neliel was looking around before her eyes settled on her and she beamed.

"Hey Rukia," she greeted warmly. This earned a weird look from the petite woman. Sure, Neliel always greets her but never this warm. It was like something happened.

She gave Urahara another glare before she smiled at the customers. "Welcome to Urahara's café shop," she welcomed them and motioned for the vacant tables. She managed a wry smirk. "It's not very often that this shop is graced with a number of customers so please, allow us to be of good service."

"Wow, this shop looks lonely," the guy with the eye patch remarked.

Ulquiorra walked towards his usual spot and the others followed. Rukia followed after them and it was Neliel who took care of their orders. After jotting them all down, she nodded and turned on her heels when Neliel spoke.

"Hey, can I help?"

"Eh?"

"I mean, if you don't mind, I'd like to help rather than just sit here and listen to these guys talk," she motioned to the three men.

She gave her an uncertain look. "Err, I am not really sure that's a good idea. I mean, Urahara-san –"

"I don't mind it all, Rukia-chan. It saves me the trouble of working with you in the kitchen," Urahara butted in while fanning himself.

Already beside her, Neliel patted Rukia's shoulder. "There you go. Thank you Urahara-san," she said and the smaller woman had no choice but to lead them both there. Rukia expertly worked on the drinks while Neliel heated the cinnamon buns.

"Who bakes this?" she asked to start a conversation.

Rukia gave her a glance and smiled. "Yuzu. She comes here early to deliver her homemade bread and pastries. It's her hobby to bake and make delicious foods."

Neliel nodded. "Ulquiorra wrote a song earlier. It was wonderful and then he said you contributed to it."

This surprised the smaller woman. "I did?"

She stopped pouring down the brewed coffee for Ulquiorra to look at the busty woman. "I don't remember contributing anything to his lyrics…we just had a small talk about something I worked on sometime ago."

"A story? He mentioned you write stories."

Again, she was surprised he shared something about her. "Some years back but I stopped writing now."

"I see." She lifted with trays with the buns. "Thank you. I don't know how you helped but the song he just created was for me and Grimmjow…for a disillusioned guy who refused to believe in a long lasting love, it was a surprise he managed to come up with a song filled with promise and forever love."

This time, it finally clicked and Rukia could not help but smile widely. "Ah…I think I know how I contributed," she said. She did not elaborate and Neliel did not ask further. They both stepped out and walked towards the table where Rukia noticed the blue-haired scowling deeply while the guy with the eye-patch was grinning manically. And Ulquiorra was staring outside in boredom.

"Don't mind them, Ulquiorra is just so used to them bickering that he learned to tune them out when he wanted to," Neliel whispered before they got close to the table. Setting the tray down, Neliel flopped besides Grimmjow. Rukia served their drinks.

"The guy with silver hair did not come today?" Ulquiorra surprised her by asking, his finger pointing to the bench where Rukia could see Hinamori with her dog. She glanced at her watch and indeed, it was the first time Toshirou did not meet her.

"You know her?" Grimmjow asked, looking over his shoulder.

"No." He lifted his head and his green eyes met hers. "So, what do you think? Could this be the turning point of their story?"

This time, she grinned. "You have taken interest in their story than you let on," she could not help but tease a little. "But maybe you're right…the turning point of their story…" she glanced outside again and then her eyes widened a little. "Indeed, it is."

Because walking from across the street was Toshirou with his girlfriend Karin and they were both approaching Hinamori. Forgetting about her customers, she walked towards another vacant seat and watched with curiosity.

Too engrossed in watching, she did not realize someone behind her until a seat was pulled and someone sat beside her. "Karin had been his girlfriend for thirteen months now and it was the first time he met with Hinamori while bringing her along. I guess now he had made a decision and that Hinamori will face her reality," she said to the person beside said woman stood up angrily and then said something before she ran away.

For a moment, she thought that Toshirou would run after her. but the guy sat on the bench and Karin sat beside him and they simply sat there. Perhaps he was getting comfort from the dark-haired woman. She made a mental note to ask Karin for details later.

"And in the end – it was that other guy who ran after her. maybe, just maybe, she will get her ever after with him," he muttered casually and this time, she turned to him. "Well, a fascinating story ended."

She stood up, noticed the questioning look of Neliel and the funny expressions from the two guys. She shrugged and fished something from her pocket and handed it to him. "That's the note she left for you. And you know, it's not that their story has ended. It just started."

She left the man to ponder on her words. urahara was giving her a mischievous look. "I thought you two are not friendly with each other?" he asked with a raised brow.

"I don't recall saying something like that," she snorted.

"I just made it up."

She only rolled her eyes.

.

.

.

"What was that all about?" Nnoitra asked when Rukia went back to the counter.

"Yeah, since when were you two so comfortable with each other anyway?"Grimmjow asked with a frown. "Ah, never mind that. What I'd like to know is what the hell were you two talking about and who the fuck are those people?"

Ulquiorra turned to his attention to them and sighed. "No idea."

"Then why the hell do you talk as if you know them?" Nnoitra asked suspiciously.

He came to understand what it was like for Rukia telling him about their story. "I don't know them but just by watching, you can tell a story about them. That's what Rukia and I were talking about. It's a good way of passing boredom."

"Rukia?"Nnoitra repeated and then turned to glance at the said woman. "You mean her?"

Neliel finally spoke. "You know, it's kinda poetic – the two of you meeting together. You told us she writes stories and that you write songs."

He eyed her blankly but she only shrugged. "She said she's going to show me something…" he did not know why he told them that. But maybe he needed to open up a little to his friends? Maybe he needed to communicate more with them outside the boundaries of music?

"Then you should go," surprisingly, it was Grimmjow who said that. And when he looked at his friend, he was serious."I don't know what's going on between the two of you but – "

"Nothing is going on between us," he felt the need to interrupt. "She just comes up with these interesting words and that all of a sudden I write a song about it…"

"That's exactly what I am talking about. Fuck you even came up with two new songs already after meeting her. maybe – just maybe, this time, you don't feel tired and lonely with the endless disconnect."

He knew what his friend was talking about. And Grimmjow rarely brings that subject up. Before he could say anything, the couple was looking at someone behind him.

"So, I don't know if you're still interested, but we should go. We can catch up with him if we hurry."

Neliel gave him a discreet look. Nnoitra kicked his right leg but it was Grimmjow who spoke, surprising him again. "Go. Don't mind us here. We'll see you later."

He sighed and stood up to face the woman. She was smiling. "Let's go then."

.

.

.

He did not expect her to bring him to a cemetery. Opening his mouth to ask, she shook her head her in response. "Don't ask. Just follow me…"

She led and he followed. She decided to stop and sit on one of the stones near an unmarked grave. She pointed her finger and his eyes followed the direction. He saw a man standing in front of a grave adorned with beautiful flowers.

"He comes every Friday, always at the same hour to bring flowers for his deceased wife. According to Ichigo, she died long ago, when he was just ten. And he's actually thirty now. Two decades and he kept coming here, bringing her flowers and talking to her as if she's still alive. His love for his wife is just too great that he did not allow time to lessen it. Even when she's gone…."

"I see…that's a deep kind of love…"

"His forever did not end when she died you know…" she turned to him this time. "I wanted to show you this. I don't know why. Maybe because you are so dead set against the concept of forever. I told you that forever is what we make of it."

"How did you know his story?" he asked instead.

This time, her eyes were warm. "Oh, his son is my best friend. He's gallivanting around the world as we speak. He was the one who told me about it and then I kept coming here to bring Miss Masaki flowers in Ichigo's stead. His father is a good man, kinda crazy though. He even hoped that Ichigo and I would marry someday. But the idea is just too ridiculous for both of us. He was so in love with his childhood friend and I was…" he noticed how she stopped and her expression changed into something bitter and dark.

"You were…?" he prodded.

She sighed with a little shake of her head. "I was married."

Maybe that's why she stopped writing. Something happened to her marriage and she stopped. Like him, she was hurt and betrayed. But unlike him, she remained positive, that's why she can say those things to him. But not positive enough to continue the story she started when she was still married.

"I learned that not everyone can have their happy ending. My ex-husband robbed me from that," she said, her words barely audible. But he still managed to catch her words.

Before he could say something, someone interrupted them.

"Ulquiorra?"

He looked over his shoulder to find Orihime standing behind him. She was giving Rukia and him a curious look. But his eyes caught something in her face and all resentment vanished instantly. To this day, she remained special despite what he claimed that he resented her.

"What happened to you?" he asked before she could ask anything and his feet voluntarily moved on his own. She had a small bruise on her left cheek which make-up barely covered. Her eyes widened at the question before she shook her head.

"This is nothing," she said. "I accidentally fell down earlier. Did you get my message?" she asked instead. He remembered the note Rukia gave him earlier, the note which was kept tucked inside his pocket.

He nodded. He turned to Rukia and the woman was already on her feet. "I'll leave the two of you then," she said in understanding. "I'm going to see Isshin-san and have a chat with him." She gave Orihime a small smile. "It's nice seeing you again, Inoue-san."

Orihime nodded and smiled in return. "Yes, indeed."

They both watched as Rukia approached the man talking to a tombstone. "Can we talk someplace else?" she requested. "I did not expect to run into you in a cemetery of all places," she admitted as they both walked away from the site.

He only grunted, sharing the same sentiment. "What were you doing there anyway?" he decided to ask and turned to look at her, catching a glimpse of grief and sadness that momentarily crossed her eyes.

"Today is my brother's anniversary. He rests there," she said in a whisper.

It's only now that it finally registered to him that this is Orihime's hometown. That this is where she grew up before she moved to the thought he could avoid her when he's here, wanting to lessen the pain, wanting to move on from her. But avoiding her would be difficult if they are in the same area. And with that, moving on will be much harder than he thought. Because honest to god, there's still that small hope that perhaps, the two of them will get back the lost time…be what they were once before things changed and she left him for another man…


End file.
